How Pope's visit to Rome synagogue can deepen interfaith relations

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Rome's synagogue which Pope Francis visits on Sunday January 17th 2016 - AP

16/01/2016 16:00

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis visits Rome’s synagogue on Sunday to meet with leaders and members of the local Jewish community, including several Holocaust survivors. During the afternoon event, the Pope will pay tribute to the 2.191 Jews who were deported by the Nazis in Rome in October 1943, as well as to a young boy who was killed during a terrorist attack on the synagogue by Palestinian gunmen in 1982.

His visit marks the third time a pontiff has been invited to the synagogue, following on from the visit by Benedict XVI in January 2010 and the historic encounter of Pope John Paul II with former Rabbi Elio Toaff there in 1986.

Sunday’s visit follows on from the publication, last December of an important new document from the Vatican’s Commission for religious relations with Jews, exploring the theological developments during the past half century of dialogue between Catholics and Jews.

Fr Norbert Hofmann is secretary of that Commission – he talked to Philippa Hitchen about the importance of Pope Francis’ visit to the synagogue and his hopes for the future of the Catholic-Jewish relationship…

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/01/16/popes_visit_to_rome_synagogue_can_deepen_interfaith_ties/1201398

6:46 audio at link.